Before I Ever Met you An Erotic Romantic Suspense Story

 

 

By Michelle Love

 

Tahlia pounded the sidewalk hard as she ran along the last stretch before home and wondered why she had decided that running was the answer to her depression. Her friends, all runners, had told her that the endorphins would flood her body, keep her blood pumping, and that she would feel ‘high’ afterward.

Instead, all she felt was exhausted. She limped the last two blocks, then let herself into her home, a ground-floor apartment overlooking Elliott Bay. She had her rising law career to thank for that, as well as the inheritance from her parents, and from Cade’s estate. In fact, her older brother’s estate meant she wouldn’t have to work ever again if she didn’t want to. Before he’d died a year ago, Cade had been one of the most popular actors in the world. His natural charm and dark good looks were catnip to the viewing public. His career had been at its peak, and he had been happy in his personal life too, dating a college professor, Molly, who was warm, funny, intelligent, and most importantly, who adored Cade’s little sister, Tahlia.

Tahlia had idolized her older brother. There were nearly sixteen years between them, but from the start, Cade had been Tahlia’s champion and buddy. She had been eight years old when their parents had been killed in a car wreck, and Cade had stepped into the role of caregiver without a second glance. Nineteen years later, they had both forged careers in their respective fields. Tahlia had graduated top of her class from Harvard Law, Cade had won his second Oscar, and the siblings had been planning a hiking vacation in Arizona.

Before that, they’d arranged to go hike around their small island off the coast of Seattle to try and improve their fitness. Both hated working out, but knew they had to at least get semi-athletic before the vacation. Cade had been in Seattle and staying with her at their parents’ old condo on the island, a place he had said he’d felt like himself, rather than a movie star. People on the island knew who he was, of course, but they left him in peace. Most of them had known him since birth.

Cade had gone out earlier that day to go into the city, to meet his best friend and lawyer, Ellory Mackenzie. If Cade was a surrogate dad to Tahlia, then Ellory was her uncle, a big bear of a man who looked out after her and helped her immeasurably with her studies. When she’d made a name for herself on her own, he had offered her a place in his law firm, and she had quickly become his right-hand woman.

Ellory had called her an hour after Cade had left that morning. “Hey, gorgeous …have you seen Cade? He was supposed to meet me in the city a half hour ago. So far, no show, and you know how anal he is about timekeeping.”

Tahlia had laughed. “Yup. No, he left on time …maybe the ferry got delayed or something?”

“Maybe. I’ve been trying to call him, but I keep getting voicemail.”

Tahlia’s smile faded. “That is weird …listen, give him another half hour. I’ll keep trying to call him and let you know if I hear anything.”

“Thanks, Tally.”

 

She had called Cade’s phone, but it had gone straight to voicemail, as it had done for Ellory. She was about to call Ellory back when a text message appeared from Cade.

 

Come to the lighthouse.

 

She’d read the message and grinned. ‘How very Virginia Wolff of you. Ellory is trying to get hold of you. You stood him up.’ She’d thought nothing of the fact that he hadn’t answered. She’d gotten into her car and, driving straight to the far side of the island, she’d trekked up the well-worn path to the old, de-commissioned light house, smiling to herself. She knew Cade and knew he was planning some sort of surprise. The scent of the pines had been heavy that day. She’d puffed a little as she’d neared the lighthouse, tramping into the clearing. Then she’d stood, catching her breath as she looked around.

He was nowhere. She’d called his name and only the breeze answered. She’d circled the lighthouse, her smile becoming strained. “Cade?” She’d noticed it then. His watch, their dad’s watch, strap broken in the grass near the edge. She’d picked it up, her heart thumping. She’d walked to the unprotected cliff edge, worn away by the last few big storms, and looked down.

Only then had she seen him. She had seen him …but she had not understood.

 

Now, she looked at his photograph and there was a terrible pull in her chest, her head felt muzzy and unsettled, and exhaustion settled over her. She closed her eyes again and willed the visions to stop. Cade’s eyes open and staring, his beautiful face one of fear and terror. His brains dashed against the harsh rocks.

Cade, her beloved brother, dead. And the blood. So much blood. She didn’t know how she’d had the ability to call Ellory before she’d scrambled down the cliff and held her dead brother’s head on her lap. Ellory and the police had found her soon after, almost catatonic with shock and grief. Ellory had cared for her, never leaving her side as they look her to the hospital. When she’d recovered enough, she had wanted to see him, but Ellory had told her he had already identified Cade for the police. “You don’t need to see him like that, baby.”

They'd handed her Cade’s personal effects—his phone and wallet—but Tahlia had gotten hysterical when they’d told her that the St. Christopher that Cade had worn since their parent’s deaths was gone. She’d sobbed in Ellory’s arms, knowing it was a stupid thing to care about, but that pendant was so much a part of Cade …whenever they had said goodbye as he flew off around the world, they would both kiss it for luck. “Kiss it,” he would grin at her. “And don’t miss it.”

Tahlia buried her head in her pillow and screamed her pain into it. No, stop it, she thought and flipped over onto her back, staring up at the ceiling. She ran through what she had to do today to try and calm herself down, but the pain in her chest seemed to get worse. She toyed with the idea of seeing her doctor, then dismissed it. It’s just the anniversary, she thought, glancing over at Cade’s picture.

“I miss you.” She didn’t care that she was speaking to no one—to someone who would never hear her again. Her gaze fell on her cell phone on the nightstand. Ellory had called three times. Darn it. She stood and the room whirled, then she sat down again, sucking in great lungfuls of air. The dark spots at the corner of her eyes began to recede. Maybe she was sick. It was the fatigue more than the nausea that was overwhelming.

In the bathroom, she ran the shower, stripping off and standing under the water. It helped. She washed her hair, scrubbed at her body, and tried not to think about Cade. Just all gone, like that. Tahlia turned the hot water off and let the cold sting her body, desperate to distract herself. She could feel herself sinking again. The black haze in her eyes had returned. Her chest felt too tight to get air into her lungs. She shut off the water and sat down in the bath, resting her burning head against the cold enamel. I’m lonely, she thought. That’s what it is. She hated feeling like this, feeling so self-pitying, but take away her work and there was nothing else. Maybe I should get a dog. She was trying to avoid thinking of what had happened between herself and Ellory a few weeks ago.

She adored him, and Cade had loved Ellory like a brother. So it was a shock when, after a shared pizza and T.V. night, Ellory had kissed her. A real shock. Not that Ellory wasn’t gorgeous, but by God, it would complicate everything.

Except she hadn’t stopped the kiss, had she? And she didn’t deny the fact that, as he undressed her slowly, she had wanted him as much as he had apparently wanted her. The sex had been good, but after he had made her come, she’d burst into tears and sobbed in his arms. They hadn’t spoken about it since.

She was grateful to her old friend that he hadn’t made things awkward at work. But she knew he wouldn’t, and that was the thing she struggled with. Yes, she could easily fall for Ellory, but would it really be love? Or was she settling for someone she knew, without doubt, would never hurt her and who was a link back to her brother? Freud would have a field day with you, girl, she thought to herself now.

Tahlia got out of the bath, dried herself, and dressed quickly in regulation jeans and tee. No, she would talk to Ellory, tell him that she adored and loved him, but it wasn’t right or fair to him. She tried to justify the feeling; You would want me to be happy. You were always such an unselfish person, she thought, looking at his photograph by the bed. Spikes of sadness ran through her. How the hell has it been a year, Cade? How can it be that you’re gone a whole year? The tight feeling in her chest was starting again. She shut off the hairdryer and wound her long chestnut brown hair up into a bun. She toyed with the idea of make-up, then shrugged. She preferred the way her skin felt when it was clean and natural. Her dark brown eyes could shine when she smiled. Right now, they looked dull and sad. She forced a smile onto her face. She knew she was considered pretty, even beautiful, but she rarely dated, buried in her work. She was maybe too serious, she knew, but sometimes, when she let go, she was fun to be around. She glanced at her reflection now. Tall, slim, but curvy. In her suit, she looked efficient and professional. She liked that. A little voice in her head piped up. And so does Ellory. She ignored it. She thumped downstairs and made herself some tea before she grabbed her cell and called Ellory.

“Hey, kiddo.”

His easy manner made her body relax and she smiled down the phone. “Hey, Ell. What’s up?”

“How about the biggest case of your career yet?”

“Huh?”

“Defending a movie star against the accusations of a crazy stalker lady? Ring a bell?”

Tahlia squinted. “Nope. Which movie star?”

Ellory paused for effect, she assumed. “Ludo Ricci.”

Tahlia grinned. “I have no idea who that is, Ell.”

“Jeez, Tally, watch a movie sometime,” Ellory said, sounding both exasperated and amused. “He called this morning. He’s being countersued by the woman who has been stalking him for years, for what she’s calling ‘harassment,’ and is actually what most sane people would call ‘self-defense.'”

Tahlia wrinkled her nose. “Sounds like a day job.”

“Well, it would be, but she’s saying he slept with her after he got a restraining order out, and so the restraining order is both null and void and he should drop his case against her. Which would be fine, but now she’s pregnant and swears it’s Ludo’s, but won’t submit to a paternity test.”

“I might need an Advil for this,” Tahlia said. “But, yeah, okay, I’m in. You want me to come in today?”

Ellory hesitated. “Do you mind? I know it’s the weekend.”

“It’s not a problem.”

Ellory sighed. “I didn’t think it would be. You need to get out more, Tal.”

That stung a little bit and she choked back a retort, knowing he didn’t mean it in a hurtful way. “I’ll be in the city in an hour. See you then.”

“Wait …sorry about that last thing I said, Tal. Also, I was going to say, Ludo knew Cade a little. Apparently, they had a great time in Cannes once and kept in touch. Ludo’s Italy’s answer to Brad Pitt, except talented and fifteen years younger.”

Tahlia laughed then. “You are such a bitch sometimes.”

Ellory chuckled. “Anything to make you laugh. Anyway, he’s filming in Seattle at the moment, which is why he asked me to represent him. Come in. He’ll be here about two p.m. You can meet him then.”

Nick Santorini strolled over to the local drug dealer, who was sitting on the hood of Nick’s car. “You might wanna move if you don’t wanna get run down.”

Carson Hicks’s lip curled. “Thought I told you to mind your own beeswax, asshole.” He made to step around him, but Nick stopped him.

“Who do you think you are, Hicks? Calling me an asshole? That’s rich coming from a filthy junkie piece of shit like you.” Suddenly, Nick wanted to goad Hicks into …something. He didn’t know what. If he lost his temper, that gave Nick a reason to throw his ass in jail for the day. “Do you have any friends, Hicks? Anyone that gives a shit about you?”

Hicks sneered. “Henry Calman was my friend. He was a good man. How he put up with you sniffing around his wife, I’ll never know.” He stepped closer to Nick Santorini, grinning. “Never got you anywhere, did it? Surprising, really.” He got into Nick Santorini’s face then. “Always figured she’d turn out to be a whore just like her momma.”

Nick’s fist slammed into the man’s nose and Hicks went down. The older man hacked, spitting out the blood that poured from his nose into his mouth. He stared up at Nick, grinning.

“Your wife know you’ve got a hard-on for widow pussy, Santorini? Guess some folks ain’t too fussy where they put their dicks.”

Nick Santorini’s hands were around his neck, then, choking, squeezing. Arms clamped around Nick Santorini, dragging him away. Mike kept his arms locked around his struggling deputy.

“Hey! Quit it, Nick. Stop.”

Nick acquiesced, still staring at the junkie with hatred. Hicks staggered to his feet, cackling to himself.

“Guess they’d call that police brutality,” he mocked, brushing himself off. He looked at Mike. “You the new chief?”

Mike, satisfied Nick was calm, nodded at Hicks “Yep. I think you should probably get back to work now, mister. Get along now.”

Hicks saluted him. “Yeah, chief, I’ll do that. Good luck with that.” He nodded at Nick. “Goddamn useless cops …” He walked off, muttering. Nick turned on his heel and started back to the police station. He heard Hicks call something back to him and whirled around.

“What did you say?”

Hicks ignored him. Nick looked at Mike.

“What did he say?”

“I said, you better pray your little whore doesn’t end up with a knife in her gut like her momma.”

Nick lunged for him.

 

“And cut! Awesome. Thanks, guys.” The director smiled at them and turned to his assistant. ‘Nick Santorini,’ or, in real life, Ludo Ricci, held out his hand to help his good friend, ‘Carson Hicks,’ aka Josh Prentiss, up from the ground. He grinned at him wryly. “Did I connect?”

“Just a little. Doesn’t matter.”

Ludo patted the other man’s back. “I’ll let you get a shot in during the next scene.”

Josh laughed. “Yeah, right.”

Ludo went back to his trailer to grab his cigarettes. He was done for the day, but he always liked to hang out with the crew on his movie sets, especially now that he was working abroad more. In Italy, he was the movie star. His dark good looks were on every magazine cover and his intense green eyes stared out moodily from the huge billboards. He was just starting to gain traction in his Hollywood career—a marquee role as a criminal mastermind in a billion-dollar franchise last year had led to this lead role in a suspense thriller. His female lead, a multi-nominated actress, was already a good friend, her sweet nature belying her onscreen temptress presence. She was also very, very much in love with her off-screen wife, and although Ludo thought she was fantastic, he wasn’t attracted to her. It wasn’t exactly unknown for any actor, including Ludo, to hook up with his co-stars, but on this set, he was happy just to hang out with them all as friends.

And god knows, he had recently had his fill of relationships. His stalker, a scrawny blonde by the name of Marianne, had made his life hell. But he hadn’t helped matters by being so drunk at a hotel one night that, when she tracked him down, he’d screwed her in his hotel room.

When he’d dumped her the next day, she’d went crazy on him. Things had escalated and he’d had to have her arrested. Now the restraining order was in jeopardy after her claims. A kid?

Fuck. He hadn’t touched alcohol since that night. His lawyer had confirmed Marianne was pregnant, but couldn’t confirm whether the baby was his. The thought of being forever linked to the crazy woman made him feel sick, but Ludo had been raised by his Italian family to be a stand-up guy and to take responsibility. If the kid was his, he would be there for him or her financially, and be as good a father as he was capable of.

When his lawyer had said they could work on the case in Seattle, he had contacted the law firm of Mackenzie, Fleeting, and Roach, because he knew a friend of his old friend, Cade Penn, worked there. Turns out, Ellory Mackenzie was a partner and more than happy to meet with him. He would meet him that afternoon.

Ludo finished his cigarette and went to grab some food from the craft services people. He sat with the crew and joked around with them. There was a reason Ludo was popular with the people he worked with. He was, at heart, a country boy from Italy, more than happy to work in an olive grove to help out a friend’s business, or in a vineyard picking grapes in his off time. He shied away from paparazzi unless it was to do his job to promote the films he made. Utterly professional, he did have one weakness—beautiful women. Now that flaw had come to bite him in the ass.

 

Ludo showered back at his rented condo, then changed into a suit. Few men could wear a Saville Row suit and make it look even more impressive than Ludo. He ruffled his dark curls as they dried, but left them disheveled, his five-o-clock shadow making his boyish face look older. In his twenties, his looks had earned him heartthrob status, but he’d grown frustrated with not being taken seriously because of those good looks. Now at thirty-nine, his looks were mature and distinguished…but still utterly heartbreaking.

He took a cab to Mackenzie, Fleeting, and Roach, right in the heart of downtown Seattle. There was no receptionist at the front desk—it was a Saturday after all—but no sooner than he had sat down in the waiting area, a woman came to fetch him. The moment he saw her, he knew he was in trouble.

Tall, curvy, with dusky skin …she was wearing a dark mauve tea dress, which came to just above her knees, and flat pumps. Her long, dark hair was pulled up into a messy bun at the nape of her neck and her eyeglasses couldn’t hide the large, soulful, dark brown eyes. The flush of pink on her skin made his senses reel. She also reminded him of someone. She held out her hand, and he stood and shook it. Firm. Confident. He liked that.

“Hello, Mr. Ricci, I’m Tahlia Penn, Mr. Mackenzie’s junior partner. If you’ll come with me, we can get started. “

Get started …taking your clothes off? Ludo smiled at her. Mio Dio, she is beautiful. “Thank you, Ms. Penn. Good to meet you.”

She nodded, giving him a half smile. All professional, but god—as he followed her along the corridor to her boss’s office, he couldn’t help admiring the curve of her waist, the slender legs, and the way her full breasts were rounded and ripe. Ludo couldn’t help imagining her naked, sweating, and gasping as his cock plowed deeply into her cunt.

“Mr. Ricci, good to meet you.” Ellory Mackenzie shook his hand and gestured for him to sit. Tahlia Penn took the chair next to her boss, across the conference table, and Ludo smiled, feeling as if he were being –assessed—which was okay as long as she liked what she saw.

You cannot fuck your lawyer’s colleague, he told himself, glad of the table because it hid his erection. He could smell her spice, clean scent, which wasn’t helping matters. He wanted to send Ellory away and fuck the woman right there on the table. He met her calm gaze and held it for a beat too long. Tahlia looked away, but he was gratified to see two spots of pink flush across her cheeks.

Ellory Mackenzie smiled at him. “May I call you Ludo?”

Ludo smiled. “Of course.”

Ellory smiled. He was a tall man, about the same as Ludo’s six feet, five inches, and was solidly built. Ludo assessed that he must be in his early forties. He wondered if Ellory was fucking the delectable Miss Penn, then decided probably not. Tahlia looked like she would want to be professional at all times. They took him through his case step-by-step and Ludo was impressed with their research and knowledge. After he’d finished relaying what he had been through and what he had felt, Ellory looked at Tahlia.

“Thoughts?”

Tahlia sighed. “Well, the fact that you slept with her and possibly impregnated her does make it more complicated. The judge could say you brought it on yourself and that you need to sort it out privately. Has she ever been violent toward you?”

Ludo shook his head. “So far, no.”

“Do you think she could be?”

He nodded. “There’s certainly a side to her that goes beyond the hysterical crying and the passive aggression.”

“Do you fear for your life?”

Ludo hesitated, then shrugged. “That makes me sound like a wimp.”

Tahlia smiled at him. “It doesn’t, Mr. Ricci, at all. Here, in this room, there is no judgment. Just the facts. If you fear for your safety, then we must consider other options.”

Ludo met her gaze. “I’m more scared she’ll hurt the people I love.”

“Understood.” Tahlia looked at Ellory. “First step, we need a more comprehensive restraining order. This is just my suggestion, but hear me out. Mr. Ricci …”

“Ludo.”

She smiled a little shyly. “Ludo, you’re staying at the Mallory apartments, yes?”

“Right.” Ludo chuckled. “How did you know that?”

Tahlia held up a piece of paper. “It’s all over the internet. You have quite the following. Here’s my suggestion—for however long you’re in Seattle, keep that apartment, but don’t stay there. Stay somewhere incognito—somewhere Marianne O’Connor won’t suspect. Out on one of the islands might be good.”

Ellory nodded. “I think that’s a good idea. Tally can help you out there. She lives on one of the islands.”

Tahlia nodded. “And I know the places you could be well hidden. I have some experience of this.”

Suddenly, Ludo got it. “You’re Cade’s sister,” he said gently, and she nodded. “I’m so sorry. He was a wonderful man.”

Tahlia nodded, and it was only when she spoke that her voice cracked a little. “He was. Thank you.”

Ludo wanted to put his arms around this woman and comfort her; she was obviously still in a lot of pain. Tahlia was quiet as Ellory spoke, highlighting different scenarios to Ludo, but he was completely distracted by the sadness in Tahlia Penn’s eyes. As Ellory thanked Ludo for coming in, they all stood, and Ludo shook hands with them both, meeting Tahlia’s gaze. I want you, was all he could think about. I want to make you smile again.

He was reluctant to leave her company, but it would have been odd to linger. He needed this law firm to help him escape Marianne’s insanity, so he couldn’t very well screw his attorney before the case was even up and running.

Yet. Maybe after the case was in court. One thing was for sure—Tahlia Penn’s body and her beautiful face would haunt his dreams tonight, and the night after, and the night after that …

 

Back in the office, Ellory grinned at Tahlia. “That went well. You did good, boo.”

She smiled back at him. “Thanks, Ell. Nice fella. Very un-starry. A bit like Cade, huh?”

“Hmm, not sure. He’s a good actor, so I’ll reserve judgment until I know him better.”

Tahlia shoved her papers back into a folder. “Fair enough.”

Ellory trailed a fingertip down her cheek, and Tahlia stopped what she was doing. She met his gaze, and he brushed his lips against hers. She didn’t pull away.

“Tally …I think we have to talk about what’s going on between us, yes?”

She nodded slowly. “I think we do.”

“Can I come back with you tonight?”

She hesitated, then nodded. “Okay.”

Ellory smiled. “Good. Take-out pizza and talk?”

“Sounds good.”

 

Ellory peeled the dress from Tahlia’s shoulders, looking deeply into her eyes. He could see the uncertainty in them. “Don’t worry, Tally. This was meant to be.” He dipped his head, took her nipple into his mouth, and sucked gently on it. Tahlia sighed, closing her eyes and stroking his closely-cropped hair. She couldn’t deny that being physically close to someone was good after all this time nor that Ellory was her best and most trusted friend. He was a gorgeous man …and a great lover.

He stripped her underwear off, and she let him, her own fingers fumbling at his shirt, then his fly. His cock was big, thick, and long, and when he thrust into her, she gasped at the feel of him. His eyes never left hers, intense and questioning as they made love.

But Tahlia was lying to herself. All afternoon, her body had been primed to make love, and right now, she wasn't being honest. Because she was wishing that the man fucking her right now was someone different. Someone darker, with intense green eyes, and a-sexy-as-all-get-out Italian accent. Knowing she was being unfair, she closed her eyes, but couldn’t forget the image of Ludo Ricci on top of her, kissing her, his cock reaming her into submission. She felt a wave of arousal, her legs tightening around Ellory’s waist as his hands pinned hers to the bed.

Ellory made her come twice before he reached his peak. After they had finished and were catching their breath, he excused himself to go to the bathroom. Tahlia lay in her bed, stretched out, her body tingling. What is wrong with me? There’s a gorgeous, sexy, funny man who adores me in my bed and I’m thinking about somebody else. Stupid woman.

Ellory came back to bed and slid in beside her, kissing her mouth. At forty-three, his hair was just starting to show silver streaks and his body was hard from boxing—his passion. He smiled down at her. “So …what are we doing? Are we trying to build a relationship?”

Tahlia looked away from him, feeling the crushing weight of responsibility for someone’s else feelings. “Ell …I have to be honest. All of this is a surprise to me. Which is not to say I don’t enjoy sleeping with you. I do. It’s just …it feels like it came out of nowhere, you know?”

Ellory ran his hand over her breasts and belly. “For you, maybe,” he said softly. “Tal, you have no idea how long I’ve wanted you.”

She flushed, but felt awkward. “You never said.”

Ellory lay back, looking up at the ceiling. “When Cade was alive …I don’t know, it seemed like he was always so protective. I didn’t want to risk our relationship, so I hid my feelings. Also, there’s the age gap. Cade was funny about that.”

Tahlia was surprised. “He was?”

Ellory nodded, then smiled broadly. “I actually don’t think he would approve of anyone being with you.”

Tahlia laughed. “Wasn’t his decision to make. But, Ell, I have to be honest. Before …lately, I never thought of you that way. Cade always told me you were family and I believed him. And there is a reason Cade behaved like that.” Tahlia swallowed hard. She had only ever told one person, Cade, this story but she felt she had to explain her brother’s reticence. “In college, I was raped. Repeatedly. By someone I thought cared for me. He took my virginity, then threatened to hurt me if I told anyone. I believed him. It went on for a year, then suddenly he left Harvard without explanation. Cade was the only person I told. Now you know too.”

Ellory looked horrified. “God, Tally …”

“Please don’t be too nice or I’ll cry,” she said, touching his face. “Ell, I don’t know if I can have a relationship with you. I just don’t know if it’s in my nature. But I really don’t want to hurt you.”

Ellory nodded slowly. “We can just call it what it is, then. Friends hooking up with each other.”

“Really?”

Ellory grinned. “Hey, I’m a modern man. We never said we were exclusive. We never said we were anything. So don’t worry.”

Tahlia gave a sigh of relief. “As long as it doesn’t affect our friendship or us working together.”

“Agreed. Now,” he covered her body with his again and she felt his erection hard against her thigh. “Where did we leave off?”

 

Ludo toyed with the idea of going out to a bar and finding someone to help ease his aching balls. Instead, he stayed home, took a long hot shower, and masturbated, thinking of Tahlia Penn’s lush curves. As he came, he imagined pumping his seed onto her belly, which made him come even harder. God …he had to screw her—that was obvious—but he’d have to be careful. He sensed a vulnerability there—a hesitancy. When she’d met his gaze, he thought she might have been feeling the attraction between them, but he couldn’t be sure.

After left-over Chinese food, he called his brother, Nico, in Italy. “Ciao, Nico.”

“Ciao! How’s the American Dream?”

Ludo laughed. “Still trying to find my place. I’m in Seattle at the moment.”

“Yeah, Gracie told me. Escaping the psycho?”

“Trying to, though I think she’s in town. I can hardly hide my filming commitments.” He caught Nico up on what had been happened. Nico wasn’t joking around after that.

“Man, I’m a little scared for you, I have to say. These lawyers, do you really think they can protect you? Maybe you should get a security team.”

Ludo rolled his shoulders, feeling the tension. “You know I’ve always hated that.”

“Brother, I know. I’m the same. I like to be alone. But this is your life we’re talking about. They love their guns over there; go get yourself one.”

Ludo sighed. “I’ll consider it. I promise.”

 

After he’d ended the call, he flicked through the channels on the T.V., settling on a film from a couple of years back—one of Cade Penn’s biggest hits. He watched the actor blowing everyone else off the screen with his charm and charisma, and Ludo’s thoughts drifted back to his sister. How different she was in nature—so serious and so organized, while Cade had been devil-may-care, at least to his audience. He had enjoyed being in Cade’s company when they had worked together; the other man had been friendly, funny, and outgoing. When Cade had died, Ludo had grieved—all that life just thrown away. And the mystery surrounding Cade’s death had also riveted him. Why would a successful, happy actor like Cade, with a happy home life, end it all on a cliff edge? And why the hell would he have summoned his beloved little sister to find him? The cruelty of that took Ludo’s breath away. His heart ached for young Tahlia Penn when he considered what it must have been like for her and something shifted inside him. He would like to get to know her, he decided, not just try and screw her.

He went to bed and was woken the next morning by his cell phone ringing. With delight, he saw it was Tahlia Penn calling.

“Hi, Ludo …I know this is short notice, but I think I’ve found the perfect hideout for you. Can you meet me at noon today?” She gave him details about how to catch the right ferry and where she would be waiting for him at the harbor of her island.

“Of course. I look forward to seeing you, Tahlia.”

 

At noon, he stepped off the walkway from the ferry and saw Tahlia Penn waiting for him, leaning against a stunning car—a 1957 Plymouth Belvedere, red and chrome. Ludo grinned at her as he approached and whistled at the car. She beamed. It was obviously her pride and joy. Ludo kissed her cheek. “Good morning, lovely Tahlia. Wow,” he indicated the car, but he could have easily meant her. She looked adorable in her jeans and vintage t-shirt, her hair loose around her shoulders in soft waves. She wore no makeup, but she didn’t need it. She looked ten years younger than she had in her work gear yesterday. Black-rimmed spectacles were perched on her nose. When they got in the car, Ludo admired the interior.

“It was Cade’s car,” she explained as she pulled out of the harbor parking lot. “And I couldn’t bear to sell it. The air-con is crap and the radio is temperamental, but I love it.”

Ludo smiled at her. “I have to say, I didn’t expect you to find me a place this quick.”

Tahlia laughed. “Me either, except a friend of mine called me this morning, asking if I knew anyone who could house sit for a couple of months. Her place is secluded, but not isolated. But it is gated, which I think is perfect.”

Ludo nodded slowly. “Is it far from your place? I’m just asking because we could meet to discuss my case, or just to have coffee sometimes.”

She flushed a little. “It’s actually just around the corner from my apartment. I’m sure you’ll like it. Molly has an artist’s eye.”

The name sounded familiar to Ludo—Molly had been Cade’s girlfriend, but Ludo didn’t want to give away that he knew that much detail. It might freak this lovely girl out, and right now, all he could think of was how much he’d like to touch her. He surreptitiously eyed her as she drove. Her t-shirt emphasized the shape of her breasts, down to her almost-flat stomach. The slight outward curve of it drove him wild. He’d never been someone who found skin and bones appealing. Tahlia was softly rounded …he imagined her sitting astride him, his cock buried deep in her, her breasts bobbing with her movement, and his fingers stroking that soft curve of her belly. Damn. Ludo looked away out of the window. There was nowhere to hide an erection today. He forced himself to concentrate on his surroundings and was pleasantly surprised to find that the island was beautiful. The undulating nature of the terrain meant that around every corner there was something new to see. Sometimes the view to the ocean would be clear, other times, the ground rose into cliff tops. He saw an old lighthouse at one point and wondered if that was the one from which Cade had thrown himself. He stole a glance at Tahlia, who was studiously ignoring the site. She didn’t point it out to him the same way she’d been showing him the rest of the island’s sights. His heart ached for her.

“Here it is.” She pulled the Plymouth up to the closed gate that led into a small driveway. The house was a one-story, set back in the woods. Tahlia rolled down her window and pressed a keycode into the intercom. The gates lurched open and she steered the car up to the house.

She opened the door. “Has the owner already left?” Ludo asked her, following her inside.

Tahlia nodded. “Told you—it was very, very short notice. Molly just packed what she could in a suitcase and left the country. I asked her if she was running from the law, but she swore she wasn’t.” Tahlia grinned, and Ludo smiled at her joke.

He looked around the open-plan living area. It was light and airy with huge, white couches and a coffee table fashioned from driftwood. There was a feeling of peace in the place that Ludo like immediately. Tahlia showed him around the well-equipped kitchen, with its exposed brickwork walls, and the large bathroom with a shower and a tub. When she led him into the bedroom, he gave another whistle. There was an exquisite four-poster bed, hand-carved from wood, a deep, obviously comfortable mattress, and swathes of white voile hanging from the beams. The room was quite bare, the large windows shuttered.

 

Tahlia opened them and slid the glass door open. “This leads to the garden area.” She turned to see him sitting on the bed, watching her. God, he was beautiful, but there was danger in those green eyes of his. She felt her face getting red. “So,” she said lightly, “What do you think.”

“I think it’s perfect,” he said in that low growl of his. His voice sent thrills through her and set a pulse beating between her legs. She was suddenly hyper aware that they were in the bedroom, alone. Cursing silently, she felt her nipples harden. “Hey,” she said, flushing madly. “What say we go grab some lunch?”

Ludo smiled, and she could swear he knew what she was thinking. “A good idea, but perhaps we should eat here or your place? It might blow my cover if we go out in public on the island.”

Damn, she hadn’t thought of that. Now she could exactly tell him he couldn’t come to her place, could she? She felt as awkward as a shy schoolgirl around this man. He stood and came over to her. “So? What do you think?”

She could feel the heat of his body and feel the curl of desire in her stomach. She nodded. “Okay. Well, you’d better come back to my place.”

 

At her apartment, he admired her bookshelves and her sketches that she did in her spare time. He was the perfect guest, courteous and charming, and Tahlia found herself warming to Ludo the person, as opposed to Ludo the unsettlingly sexy movie star. His goofy sense of humor and sometimes poor grasp of English made her chuckle, and he took her gentle ribbing in good heart.

When she glanced at her watch later, she was astonished to see it was after six. “God, Ludo, we’ve been talking for hours.”

“And, yet, it only felt like minutes in your company,” he said with a smile. Tahlia blushed again—god, what was it about his man—and got up.

“Well, if you don’t have to be anywhere, I could cook.” What are you doing, girl? This is one dangerous man to have in your home. She brushed the thoughts away. He was her client. She was just being hospitable to someone who was away from home.

Ludo nodded. “I’d like that, on one condition.”

“What’s that?”

“I help. I love to cook too.”

Tahlia gave him a delighted smile. “Really? Then how can I say no?”

In the end, it was Ludo who did most of the cooking. He made gnocchi from scratch and seasoned and chopped vegetables for the sauce. The moment Tahlia put the first piece of gnocchi in her mouth, she moaned in pleasure. “God, you’re a genius. Why aren’t you a chef instead of an actor?”

Ludo laughed. “Actually, I was at chef school when I was ‘discovered.' We had an open tasting where we had to cook a dish for an invited audience. My guest brought his friend, who just happened to be an agent. They wanted to thank me for the meal and the rest is history.”

Tahlia nodded thoughtfully. “One look at that face and I’m not surprised.” She realized what she had said and felt the dreaded blush creeping up her face. “Um, I mean …”

“Where did you go to school?” he asked, and she smiled gratefully at his kindness in rescuing her.

“Harvard Law.”

“Of course. And I bet you were top of the class.”

She grinned. “Guilty, although I think possibly it’s because I’m a nerd, not because I’m talented. I just like to right wrongs. I wish more people cared about each other. I had intended to go into human rights, but when Ellory offered me a job, I couldn’t resist. So I came home. I’m glad I did now.”

Ludo nodded, studying her, then reached over and brushed a fingertip on her cheek. Her skin burned where he touched her. “Sorry, there was a piece of tomato on your face.” He stuck his finger in his mouth and gave her a mischievous grin.

Tahlia rolled her eyes. “Of course there was. Ludo, you should know this about me. I may give off professional vibes in the office, but at home, I’m the clumsiest, scruffiest person you will ever meet. Food in my hair, stuff on my clothes …. it’s embarrassing, really.”

They both laughed. “Good,” Ludo said. “Then I won’t be cowed by your efficiency.”

“That you won’t be.” Tahlia emptied the rest of the red wine into Ludo’s glass. “We’re out of the red.”

“Are you trying to get me drunk?”

Tahlia grinned. Ah, to hell with it. He was seriously cute and flirting never hurt anyone. “Of course. Not often I have a major movie star in my home.”

“Ha. I’m surprised there isn’t a queue of us stretching around the block.” He got up and loaded the dishes into the sink. “Soap?”

“Under the sink.” She took up a dishcloth, marveling that this man was in her kitchen, washing her dishes. They washed, dried, and put away their dinner things, then Tahlia said, nonchalantly. “Look, the last ferry is at ten …would you like to stay until then and hang out?”

“I would like that very much, Tahlia.”

You’re playing a dangerous game, Penn. She shook her head, dashing the thoughts away. “Good. We’re out of wine, but I have some beer.”

“What are you having?”

“I’m driving you to the harbor, so just soda for me.”

“Then that’s what I’ll have too.”

God, he was sweet. If Cade hadn’t been her brother and shown her that movie stars were just normal people under the make-up, she mused, she would have been totally thinking that Ludo was playing her, but she knew something about genuine and un-genuine. This man didn’t have a fake bone in his body.

Her cellphone buzzed. Ellory. She hesitated, then answered it. “Hey, Ell.”

“Hey, beautiful. Just checking in. I’m just watching a movie and I suddenly thought I’d rather be watching it with you.”

Ludo, who was still putting dishes away, dropped a glass. He cursed loudly in Italian and looked at her apologetically. She smiled and mouthed, ‘Don’t worry about it.’

“Who’s that?”

Oh fuck. “Oh, it’s Ludo. I found him a place on the island—Molly’s place, actually—and so he came over. We just had some dinner and I’m taking him back to the ferry later.”

“Oh, cool. Yeah, Molly’s place. good move.” Tahlia tried to figure if there was any antagonism in his voice. She couldn’t tell.

“We did decide that was the best move, Ell, didn’t we?”

“We certainly did. Well, okay, maybe another time.”

“Sorry, Ell.”

“Hey, don’t apologize. You’re just doing your job. Tell Ludo I said hi.”

“I will. See you Monday.”

“See you Monday, sweetheart.”

Tahlia tamped down her feelings of guilt. She wasn’t doing anything wrong. Except lusting after the man in her kitchen. She went to help Ludo clear the smashed glass and found he had already cleared the mess. A thin stream of blood was on his finger.

“Aww, shit, you cut yourself.” Tahlia frowned, turning to the cabinet where she kept the Band-Aids.

“It’s nothing. Honestly, I’ll just run it under the faucet.”

Without thinking, she took his hand and ran the cold water on it to clean it. She bent down to study the wound when it was clean. “I think there’s a piece of glass in there. Hold on.”

His hands were big and his skin was warm and dry. Tahlia grabbed her tweezers and eased the piece of glass out. Ludo winced a little.

“I’m sorry,” she said, cleaning the wound and wrapping a dressing around it. She realized she had been holding his hand and that he was very close to her. Very close.

Her heart began to thump heavily as she looked up into his green eyes. He was gazing at her, his expression intensely erotic. Tahlia, her breath catching, let go of his hand, but couldn’t break away from that look in his eyes. Ludo stepped closer, then his hand was under her t-shirt, stroking her belly gently. He leaned in to brush his lips against hers, and was no more than half an inch away when they both jumped as someone pounded on the door.

Tahlia came back to her senses and slid away from him, giving him an embarrassed half-smile. “Sorry …I’d better get that.”

“Of course.”

Her skin burning from his touch, Tahlia darted for the door and yanked it open. Outside, a uniformed cop and a man in a suit were waiting.

“Ms. Penn?”

She nodded, wondering what this was about. “How can I help you?”

“Ms. Penn, we have new information regarding the death of your brother. Maybe we come in?”

Tahlia stared at them, upset, then nodded. “Of course. Of course, sorry. Come in.”

 

The taxicab pulled up outside her house and she went with Ludo to the door. “Sure you don’t want me to stay?”

Tahlia smiled and shook her head. “No, it’s family stuff. I wouldn’t want to burden you. Look, I’m sorry, Ludo. Will you be okay?”

He grinned and touched her cheek with his finger. “I’ll be fine. Can I call you tomorrow? You know, to discuss how we coordinate my hiding place?”

She chuckled softly. “Of course. Thank you for a lovely day.”

“Thank you, Tally …can I call you that?”

“Of course.” God, she wanted him to kiss her so badly …but that would be such a bad idea.

He touched her cheek again and was gone. Tahlia felt bereft, not just because, god, he was so fucking sexy she could scream, but because she also felt a kinship with him. A friendship had been forged today. She sighed and went back to talk with the police.

 

Ludo stood on the deck of the ferry, looking out over the waves, dark now as the sun had set. Today had been a revelation for him. Never had he met someone like Tahlia. He realized today that he’d misjudged her. At work, she was all business, but off-duty, she was fun and flirty and …

Damn, the softness of her skin when he’d stroked her belly. He had wanted to kiss her so badly that he’d flung every caution to the wind. If those cops hadn’t turned up, he had no doubt that they would be fucking right now. The thought of her curves in his hands—those pillowy breasts and the deep, round navel he’d caressed with his fingers. Her long legs wrapped around him and his cock buried in her wet, silky cunt. Jesus …

Yes, he wanted her badly; at the same time, the part of him that had found a friend didn’t want to jeopardize her career or put her in an awkward position with any potential boyfriend she might have. Ludo still wasn’t convinced there wasn’t something going on between Tahlia and Ellory Mackenzie; he’d seen the fond looks Ellory had thrown his junior during their meeting.

And why not? Ellory was probably the best man for her. He was her brother’s best friend, he’d obviously been her rock since Cade’s death, and he was here in Seattle, not flying off and staying on film sets all over the world.

Ludo felt depressed. Why did he feel, all of a sudden, that he needed to work harder to be worthy of Tahlia Penn? She was incredible …and he knew that he would do anything to make her happy.

 

Tahlia said goodbye to the cops and closed the door, feeling drained. She couldn’t process what they had told her—not at first—but when it hit her, she felt like screaming.

 

Miss Penn, we have reason to believe that your brother was murdered. We’ve been looking into cold cases in which suicide was given as the reason, but the victims had no motive. We looked over your brother’s post-mortem, and we have reason to believe he was already dead when he was thrown from the cliff. Why the medical examiner at the time didn’t comment on it, we don’t know. But to start things off, we need to know. Miss Penn…is there any reason you could think of why someone would want to harm your brother?

 

Tahlia walked back into her living room and grabbed her cell phone, scrunching herself into the corner of the couch, the way she always did when she was upset. She called the one person who would get how she felt right now.

“Tally?”

“Ell …” She burst into tears.

Ellory’s voice was hard when he spoke. “Tal, what’s happened? Has he hurt you? Has Ricci hurt you?”

“No, of course not. Ludo’s gone.” She was surprised at the vehemence in his tone. “Ell, the police were just here …they’re reopening the investigation into Cade’s death. Ell, they think he was murdered.”

There was a silence on the other end of the phone, then she heard Ellory let out a long breath. “I’m coming over.”

Tahlia opened her mouth to protest, then shut it. Yes, she needed him here now. “Okay.”

 

An hour later, Ellory was walking in her front door. He wrapped his arms around her, and she gladly leaned into him, needing his solid frame to make her feel secure again.

“Are you okay, sweetheart?”

She nodded, then he released her and led her to the couch. “Tell me everything.”

Tahlia repeated verbatim what the cops had told her. “They say his neck was broken before he went off that cliff. I don’t get it, Ell. Who would want to hurt Cade, of all people?”

Ellory blew out his cheeks. “I have to say, it’s weird …but Cade had his share of crazy fans. Maybe someone stalked him? It’s unbelievable to me, too, Tally, that anyone would do this to him. Are the police sure?”

She nodded. “God …they asked me if I knew anyone who would hurt him, but I said no. I don’t want to believe it’s true, but then I never believed he killed himself, so …” She shook her head and closed her eyes. She felt Ellory stroke her hair. It felt nice and comforting. He shifted closer to her and put his arm around her, pressing his lips to her forehead. She sighed.

“I guess this puts what Ludo is going through into perspective,” Tahlia said. “It must be terrifying to live your life knowing someone is crazy enough to do something like that.”

“Did Cade ever mention he was dealing with a stalker?”

She shook her head. “Never. But I was thinking, he would have been more likely to tell you that than me. You know how much he protected me from.” She smiled up at him. “Like you do, Ell. So, if he said anything, please …tell me now.”

He kissed her. “Not once, Tally. He never mentioned anything like that.” He kissed her again and again—soft, little kisses, until she kissed him back. He pushed her gently down on the couch and covered her body with his.

Tahlia didn’t know how to make him stop without hurting him. All she knew was that this wasn’t what she wanted. Just tell him that, she told herself, but she said nothing. Ell smiled down at her as he stripped her, then as his cock thrust inside of her, she tried to smile back. Get through this. He’s your friend and he obviously loves you …

But she felt like she was betraying him, betraying herself, and, strangely, betraying Ludo. Which was ridiculous. Ellory took her to bed afterward and they made love again, but Tahlia’s heart wasn’t in it. It wasn’t as if Ellory was unattractive. Quite the opposite. He was gorgeous, with hazel eyes, hard body, and ridiculous sexy machismo, but it still felt wrong.

Ellory fell asleep in her bed, not asking if she wanted him to stay. Tahlia slipped from the bed and went into the kitchen to grab some milk. Her vagina felt sore from Ellory’s pounding and she felt a little tearful. In the morning, she would tell him that they shouldn’t do this anymore. He was her family, but they weren’t supposed to be lovers.

Tahlia hoped he wouldn’t be hurt. She would hate to lose him, but she truly could not do this with him. Not when she was so attracted to someone else. She closed her eyes and recalled the tender way Ludo Ricci had stroked her belly and how close his lips had been. She cursed the detectives for not being five minutes later. She knew, had he kissed her, they would have been having sex, without a doubt. Which, of course, was the worst idea. He was her client and she was already sleeping with her best friend, Ellory. So many reasons not to get involved with Ludo.

But the thought made her heart hurt. She drained her milk, then went to brush her teeth. Hesitating only slightly, she slid back into bed, and Ellory murmured her name in his sleep. She stared at him sleeping, his handsome face at peace, and her heart twinged with sadness. Her life would be so much easier if she could fall in love with Ellory Mackenzie, even with the whispers of favoritism that she would have to fend off.

But when she went to sleep that night, she dreamed of Ludo Ricci’s lips against her own, his naked body covering her own, and his voice, low, deep, and sensual, telling her over and over …I want you, Tahlia. I’ve always wanted you

 

Ludo sat in his chair, watching the scene being shot. He wouldn’t be needed for another hour or so, but he wanted to be distracted from thinking about Tahlia Penn. Sadly for him, the supporting actress looked way too much like Tally for that to happen. Get a grip, man. You’ve only known she exists for forty-eight hours. But Ludo Ricci had never felt this instant connection with any other woman in his life. Yesterday had been the most fun he’d had with a total stranger—ever. He grinned to himself at the thought. There was something so natural and down-to-earth about her …he imagined taking her back to Italy—to his home in Tuscany hills’ rolling countryside and olive groves. Picking olives and laughing with her in the sultry afternoons, making love long into the night.

“Yo, Ludo.” His assistant, a cheery young man called Buck, came over. “Girl’s here to see you. Says she’s a friend.”

Ludo felt his heart lift. Tahlia had come here?

His hopes crashed a minute later when he saw the blonde, slender woman coming toward him.

Fuck.

Marianne.

She beamed at him. “Hey, baby.”

Ludo, stone-faced, grabbed her arm and steered her away from people, around to the back of the trailers, before he released her. “What the fuck are you doing here, Marianne? Do the words ‘restraining order’ mean nothing to you?”

Marianne’s expression dropped, but she gave him a nasty smile, determined to cover her hurt. “That’s how you talk to the mother of your child?”

“No,” he snapped back. “It’s how I talk to someone who won’t take the hint.”

Marianne gritted her teeth. “I got your lawyer’s letter. You hired one here?”

“Yes, Marianne. I want this over with. I’m applying for a permanent restraining order. The one I have now could still put you in jail if I call security. Do you want that to happen?”

She said nothing, held his gaze for a moment longer, then shook her head, looking away. “No.”

Ludo sighed. “Look, Marianne, how many times do we have to go through this? I don’t want a relationship with you. I’m sorry I didn’t make that clear on the night we spent together. If the baby is mine, then I will support the child, but we still won’t be together. Do you understand?”

Marianne walked off toward the film set. Ludo stopped her. “What are you doing?”

“Trying to see which whore you’re fucking now, asshole. Hey,” she yelled over, ruining a take, “which one of you sluts is fucking Ludo now?”

The director scowled and Ludo sighed heavily. He looked over to the security team. “Guys …”

 

After the security men had taken Marianne away, the director spoke to Ludo in private. “We can’t have this keep happening, Ludo.”

“I know, Hal. I do. I’m trying. I have a team of lawyers working on it. Maybe if we closed the set?”

The director sighed. He liked Ludo Ricci very much and felt sorry for the man being harassed, but Marianne was a parasite. “I think we’ll have to, for now.”

He left Ludo alone. Ludo tugged out a packet of cigarettes, then realized he hadn’t actually had one for a long time. Since before he’d walked into Ellory Mackenzie’s office. Huh. He had smoked for years, so what was different now? Spending the day with Tahlia yesterday, who apparently loved food as much as he did, but didn’t smoke—he was mirroring her already?

Fuck it, I want to hear your voice. He dumped the cigarette packet in the trash and pulled out his phone.

“Hey, Ludo.”

Peace came over him as he smiled down the phone. “Hey, Tal …how are you? After last night?”

She hesitated, and he realized she thought he meant their almost kiss. “I mean, the cops …I hope they didn’t upset you.”

He heard her let out a long breath. “More unsettled than upset. They had some pretty grim theories. But enough about me, how are you?”

“Just had an unscheduled visit from Marianne.”

“Oh, hell.” He heard her moving around her house and pictured her there. “So we need to get you moved to Molly’s house asap. How soon can you get packed?”

“I’m here until six, then it will take a couple of hours, that’s all.”

“Okay. Okay.” He could tell Tahlia was beginning to strategize; he imagined her pacing around her living room, pushing her glasses up her nose. God …so hot. “So this is what we’ll do—all cloak and dagger, I’m afraid. We have to make sure you’re not followed. Take a cab and go to SeaTac. Then take another cab and ask them to take you to this address in Olympia. It’s an abandoned church in the middle of nowhere, so you’ll be able to tell if you’ve been followed. I’ll meet you there and bring you back to this island.”

Ludo chuckled. “You’ve missed your calling. You should be a spy.”

Tahlia laughed. “How do you know I’m not?”

“Good point. Tal, thank you. I mean it. You’re a sweetheart.”

“Shucks,” she said, and he knew she would be blushing. The girl couldn’t take a compliment. “Look, I’ll go make sure you’re all set for groceries—at least enough to keep you going. Anything you don’t eat?”

“Nothing.”

“Good man.” She laughed, and Ludo couldn’t help but notice that she seemed to have perked up during their call.

“Can I ask if you’ll let me cook for tonight, then?”

Tahlia laughed, a warm, low sound. “After yesterday, hell yes, Mr. Chef.”

“Good.” Ludo smiled down the phone. “So, around eight, then, at the abandoned church in Olympia.”

She chuckled again. “It does sound mad, doesn’t it?”

“I’ll see you later, cara mia. I can’t wait.”

 

Tahlia was still smiling when Ellory came out, dressed, onto the little balcony where she ate breakfast. She smiled up at him. “That was Ludo. He got a visit from the stalker this morning, on set, so we’ve decided to rush his move.”

Ellory sat down and grabbed a coffee cup. “Okay, well, that sounds sensible.”

Tahlia’s smile faded a little. “Ell …we need to talk.”

Ellory sipped his coffee. “About?”

“Us.” She could feel her face burning. “Ell, I adore you. You know that, right? You’re my best friend in this world and I could not have gotten through this last year without you.”

Ellory gave her a half-smile. “But …”

“But I don’t think I can do this …us …and the sleeping together part. I’m so scared of losing you, Ell. So scared. And if we continue down this path, you’re going to need something from me that I can’t give.”

Ellory looked away from her, then, and she felt awful, seeing the hurt on his face. “Ell, I’m so sorry. If it helps, I want to feel that way about you. I really do. It does seem right, but I just can’t help that I don’t feel that way about you. Maybe we’re too close, you know?”

Ellory smiled and touched her cheek. “Tally, don’t worry about me. I’ll be okay. Just let me get used to the idea of trying to not be in love with you.”

“Oh, god,” Tahlia moaned, and Ellory laughed.

“Kidding. Come here.” He pulled her onto his lap and hugged her. “I wouldn’t want anything to get in the way of our friendship, Tal, not even sex. One question—and be honest—did I railroad you into sleeping with me?”

“Of course not.” Tahlia was shocked, “Ell, I have wondered about you, you know. About you and me together, and I wanted you too, that first time. I would have stopped you if I didn’t.”

But you didn’t want him last night, and you didn’t stop him. Tahlia slid off his lap and picked up the coffee pot. “Want some more of this?”

Ellory shook his head. “I have some stuff to do at home. You’ve got Ludo’s situation handled?”

“It’s no problem. See you at work tomorrow.”

“Sure will.” He bent to kiss her mouth, remembered, and aimed for her cheek instead. Tahlia squeezed his hand.

“Love ya, big guy.”

“Love you, too, smudge. See you tomorrow.”

 

Tahlia let out a huge sigh of relief. That had been less painful than she had feared. Still, there was guilt …because she knew she hadn’t told Ellory the whole truth.

Ludo. God, she was blown away by how much she was looking forward to seeing him. She spent the whole day cleaning to distract herself, even stripping down her bed and throwing the linen into the washer. She told herself there was no motive behind that—after sex, sheets were always icky.

At six, she got in the shower, then deliberately put her most-worn, lilac t-shirt, old blue jeans, and Chuck Taylors on. No make-up, her glasses on her nose …but she did spend a little extra time blow-drying her long hair, so it fell in soft waves around her shoulders. Stop it, she told herself. He is your client. But by the time she steered the Plymouth onto the road to Olympia, her whole body was vibrating with excitement.

 

The cab driver peered up at the abandoned church doubtfully as Ludo pulled his case from the trunk. “Here? You sure?”

Ludo smiled, handing over a wad of cash. “Really.”

The cab driver’s eyes widened at the huge tip Ludo had just given him. “Thanks, man. I appreciate it. Listen, want me to hang around until your ride gets here?”

Ludo smiled and pointed along the dusty road. “No need. She’s here.”

The driver saw the Plymouth and whistled. “Sweet ride. She’s a beauty.”

Ludo chuckled. “You should see the driver. Thanks again.”

“Sure thing.” The cab driver gave him a fist bump and drove off. Ludo saw him staring at Thalia as she drove up, and then the guy gave him the thumbs up. Ludo was laughing when Thalia stepped out of the car.

“Hey, dude.”

“Hey yourself, Bella.” He kissed her cheek, and it was an almost inhuman feat not to kiss her sweet, pink mouth. He threw his case in the trunk and they set off. He studied her. The lilac of her shirt made her skin glow, accented the shape of her breasts. and clung to her belly. There was a strip of dusky skin between her shirt and the top of her faded blue jeans, which Ludo regretted noticing. It would haunt him, knowing how soft it was. He looked up and realized he’d been caught looking. Thalia grinned, shaking her head, and Ludo laughed.

“Sorry, but in my defense, you’re gorgeous and I’m only human.”

There was that adorable blush on her face. “Ludo …I take my job very seriously. You should know that. And any …fraternizing,” she grinned as he laughed at the word, “would compromise your case and my job.” She looked over at him; he was still grinning. “Why are you smiling?”

“Because my case won’t last forever.”

“Ludo.” She tried to make her voice serious, but it wavered at the end, and they both laughed. “You are incorrigible.”

“I hope so.”

“Man-slut.”

“Yep. At least as far as you’re concerned.”

“Lu-do.” She shook her head, laughing.

God, she was adorable. He wanted to kiss her so badly, his chest hurt. But he wouldn’t want to make her uncomfortable. Quite the opposite.

They chatted and flirted all the way back to the island and Thalia drove him back to Molly’s place.

“I meant to ask—how come Molly has all this security?”

Thalia tapped in the security code at the gate before she answered. “After Cade died, she got a lot of threats, saying it was her fault he killed himself. She got scared, and so we had this system installed. Thankfully, that all died down, but I think Molly feels safer when she’s here.”

“Where is she at the moment?”

“Madrid, teaching. She has a brain the size of a planet. I wish you could have met her. You’d really like her.”

Inside, he checked the refrigerator and saw that she had stocked it with everything he might need. “You need to tell me how much this all cost so I can pay you back.”

Thalia shook her head, smiling. “Think of it as a housewarming gift. Besides, you’re going to cook for me, right?”

She looked so eager that Ludo laughed. “I like a woman who loves food.”

“Me too, pretty boy. Get cooking.”

They chatted easily again as he prepared a pumpkin ravioli that made Tahlia promise to give him her first born.

“I’ll take something else instead,” he said, leaning toward her. Tahlia beamed at him, then very slowly and deliberately wiped a streak of marinara sauce down his nose.

“There you go. My gift to you.”

Ludo crossed his eyes to look at the mess, making her laugh. “Does it suit me?”

“You look like a movie star.” She grinned at him, then grabbed her napkin and wiped his nose clean.

“Maybe I’ll …” She never got to finish her sentence. Ludo’s lips were against hers, then, as he was unable to stop himself. He felt her start, then respond, her lips moving with his, her tongue against his. God, she tasted so sweet, her lips so soft and so yielding.

Finally, they broke free. “I’m sorry,” he said in a low, soft voice, “I wasn’t strong enough to resist.”

Tahlia was trembling. “Ludo …we can’t. I’m sorry, it’s just …” She looked upset, then, and Ludo felt horrible.

“I’m sorry, Tally. I shouldn’t have done that.”

She gave him a half-smile. “No. But, then, neither should I. I think I should go. It’s late.”

Ludo walked her to her car, but before she got in, he took her hand. “Tally …when my case is over and done …”

“When your case is over and done with, and your movie is shot, there’ll be no reason to stay in Seattle.”

Ludo stepped closer and touched the back of his fingers to her cheek. “I’ll have the only reason I need to stay.”

She smiled up at him then, her eyes soft. “After the case is done.”

“Is that a promise?”

Tahlia grinned, but said nothing and got into her car. Ludo watched her drive away with the biggest smile on his face.

That girl …

…she’s going to drive me crazy.

 

They fell into a regular routine. They would drive into the city, where Tally would drop him three blocks from the set, then, at night, or whenever they had both finished for the day, he would walk the twelve blocks to a coffee shop Tahlia had chosen. She would meet him, then they would go back to the island, where one of them would cook for the other. There, they would talk and laugh into the night.

To Tahlia’s relief, when Ludo came to the law office, he gave no indication that they spent all that time together. He was friendly, but not flirty, and he and Ellory seemed to get along amiably. Marianne, evidently rocking back from the few days in jail she had spent for violating the restraining order, hadn’t made a reappearance.

“I still think it’s important we go ahead with the permanent restraining order,” Tahlia said in one meeting, three weeks after their first session. “Just because she hasn’t shown up again doesn’t mean she won’t. And I’m damned if I’ll let her make your life a misery for one more minute.”

Ellory gave her a strange look and Tahlia realized she had sounded way too intense. She swallowed, avoiding both the men’s eyes. Ellory cleared his throat. “Well, we have the date set for the court hearing. Tomorrow at noon. After that, I think I can confidently say that if Marianne breaks the order—ever—she’ll be spending a lot of time in jail. Hopefully, it won’t come to that.”

Ludo nodded. “I can’t thank you enough, both of you. You have made this whole process a lot less stressful.”

Ellory smiled. “Glad you think so. It’s been a pleasure, but we’re not over the finish line yet.” He stood and shook Ludo’s hand. “We’ll see you in the morning, Ludo.”

 

When Ludo had left, Ellory asked Tahlia to stay behind for a moment. He studied her. “Tahlia …I know you wouldn’t be this stupid, but I have to ask …”

“I am not sleeping with my client, if that’s what you’re going to ask me.”

Ellory rocked back. “Well, okay. I wasn’t going to go there, but I did wonder if you’d gotten a little too attached.”

Tahlia was embarrassed. “Oh. No, I promise. Nothing going on between Ludo and me. Just friends and colleagues.”

“Good. Obviously, after tomorrow, it’s none of my or the firm’s business, but I do caution you, Tal. He’s a movie star. A good man, yes, but …”

“Let me stop you there, Ell. I don’t need a lesson in movie stars.” It came out harder than she’d intended and she gave him an apologetic smile. “But I appreciate you trying to protect me.”

“That’s all I meant by it, sweetheart.”

 

Later, at home, she chewed over what Ellory had said, and Ludo, sitting opposite her, noticed. “You okay, cara mia?”

She nodded. “Ellory asked if I had gotten a little attached earlier.”

Ludo put his wine glass down. “And have you?”

Tahlia drew in a deep breath before meeting his gaze. “Yes,” she said quietly. “But I meant what I said …until we no longer work for you.”

Ludo smiled and moved to sit next to her. “Which could be as soon as tomorrow, Principessa, and then what?”

Tahlia gazed back at him. “Yes, and then what?” Her voice broke and he tilted her chin up to look into her eyes.

“Tahlia, tomorrow, when we come home, I won’t cook for you. As soon as that door closes, I’ll pull you into my arms and kiss you until you can’t breathe. Then I’ll take you to bed and kiss every part of your skin, run my tongue along your inner thigh, suck your nipples, take your clit into my mouth, and make you come again and again.”

Tahlia gave a soft moan of longing, and Ludo, his eyes lazy with desire, smiled. His fingers trailed along her inner thigh, through her jeans, stopping before he touched her groin. “Then I’ll kiss your belly and run my tongue around your navel and up your stomach until my lips find your throat. I’ll hitch your legs around my hips, and my cock will plunge into your swollen, red cunt. My teeth will nip at your earlobes as I fuck you harder and deeper than you’ve ever been fucked, Tahlia Penn …tomorrow, Tally …in your bed. And believe me, you won’t get a wink of sleep all night.”

“God …” Tahlia was so turned on, she nearly dragged him to bed then and there, but the anticipation was so sweet and so exciting. Ludo leaned in and brushed his lips softly against hers, then drew away.

“Goodnight, Tally.”

She laughed as he headed for the door. “Goodnight, Ludo.”

 

Tally went to take a shower to cool down her burning skin. Her clit was hard as she began to caress it, thinking of what Ludo had said, and she came quickly, gasping and moaning. God, the man was sex personified—and he wanted her …

As she brushed out her damp hair, she saw her wide, excited eyes in the mirror. Don’t get too presumptuous, she thought to herself. It all depends on the courtroom tomorrow.

But she couldn’t help but replay Ludo’s words over and over to herself before she went to sleep.

 

The next morning, her stomach was in knots, even though Ellory had assured them both that the hearing would be a formality. “Her little excursion to your film set worked in our favor, Ludo. This will be a breeze.”

Tahlia got her first look at Ludo’s tormentor as she was led into the courtroom by her lawyer. Marianne O’Connor was a small, very slender woman, with her tight, mousey, blonde curls pushed back from an overlarge forehead. She was middle-aged and dressed expensively in a Chanel suit, which surprised Tahlia, who then felt scruffy in her off-the-rack, store-bought suit. Marianne gazed at Ludo with such intensity that Tahlia felt sick with concern. It wasn’t the look of love—it was the look of obsession. Marianne didn’t hide her feeling at all, Tally guessed. The blonde woman’s eyes moved to her and Tahlia saw them harden. Marianne’s lip curled up almost in a snarl.

Tahlia looked away, but she could feel the other woman staring at her, her hatred like a heatwave from the other side of the court.

In the end, it only took a few minutes for the judge to look over the case and for the permanent order to be given.

“Now, you understand, Miss O’Connor, that if you break this order, you will immediately be incarcerated for a potentially lengthy period of time?”

Marianne nodded earnestly. “I do, your honor.”

“Good. I hope I nor any other judge will see you again. Despite his fame, Mr. Ricci has every right to live his life without being harassed.”

“Yes, sir.”

The judge then granted the order, and Ludo, Ellory, and Tahlia left the courtroom. Outside, Ludo, who looked like a weight had been lifted from him, shook Ellory’s hand and hugged Tally. “Thank god. I can’t thank you both enough. I feel liberated.”

Tahlia grinned. “We should go celebrate.”

“We should.”

Ellory smiled at them both. “Lunch at Kline’s? On me.”

Ludo shook his head. “Oh no, on me. I insist.”

Tahlia excused herself for a few moments to use the restroom. In the stall, she leaned her hot head against the cool tile and tried to calm herself. She still had the rest of the work day to get through before tonight …tonight …

She was washing her hands when the door opened behind her and Marianne O’Connor walked in. The blonde woman stopped when she saw Tahlia. Tahlia met her gaze in the mirror, but didn’t speak. Marianne stared at her.

“So you’re the new girl. I wondered. Last time I saw him, he looked different. Like he’d fallen in love. I never thought it would happen. Not Ludo. He’s so guarded.”

Tahlia felt so uncomfortable, but she couldn’t leave without barging past Marianne and she did not want a fight. Marianne came closer, her eyes searching Tahlia’s face.

“You’re beautiful …those big soulful doe eyes, that mouth made to give a man head …”

Tahlia had finally had enough. “Excuse me.” She pushed past the other woman, bracing herself for a slap or a punch, but Marianne just laughed. As Tahlia opened the door, Marianne spoke again. “He’ll destroy you. He can’t help it.”

Tahlia slammed the door behind her.

 

She soon forgot all about Marianne when they headed to the restaurant. Ellory seemed oblivious to the tension between Ludo and Tally. When he excused himself to make a call, Ludo slid closer to Tally, his lips at her ear. “You don’t work for me anymore, beautiful girl.”

His hand drifted up her skirt, and she gave a low moan of desire. Ludo’s fingers stroked the length of her inner thigh, and when they reached her, he caressed her through her panties. God … Tahlia gave a little gasp. The thought of them being caught was turning her on and Ludo saw it in her eyes. Her nipples hardened, and with a quick move of his head, Ludo’s teeth brushed over her left breast, nipping lightly through her blouse. Tally almost came. Her whole body was on fire. Ludo’s fingers slipped into her panties and found her clit, kneading and rubbing it. Tahlia’s own hand slid over his crotch, feeling the hot length of his cock, erect and pressing against the fabric of his pants. God, he was huge.

Ludo smiled at her. “That’s going to be inside you tonight, Tally.” His fingers increased the pressure and Tally gasped through an orgasm, her face flushing and her breath coming in short gasps.

“God, I want you,” she whispered, and Ludo grinned.

“And you shall have me, any way you want, Bella …”

 

When Ellory came back to the table, he looked apologetic. “Sorry, kids. I’m going to have to break this up. Tally, we’re needed back at the office.”

“Of course.” Tally felt as if she surely was a wreck to look at with her blouse disheveled and her skirt hiked up, but in truth, she looked the same as she had earlier. She smiled at Ludo, their eyes meeting and a silent communication passing between them. “Same place, later?”

Ludo nodded. “Coffee shop at six. Got it.”

Ellory shook Ludo’s hand again. “Sorry to cut and run.”

“Don’t be. The show must go on. I’m sure we’ll speak again.”

 

On the way back to the office, Ellory smiled at Tahlia. “You must be feeling pretty good. About the case, I mean.”

“Definitely.” Was she imagining it, or was there a double meaning in Ellory’s words? Had he seen her and Ludo at the restaurant? They had been in a private booth, but …

Ellory smiled at her, with no sign of jealousy, and she relaxed. “Just glad it panned out okay for Ludo.”

“He’s a good guy. Still, onto our next case. You okay to start prep?”

“Definitely.” You sound like a parrot, woman. She smiled at Ellory. “Although, I might take a few days off, if that’s okay? Regroup? Deal with this crap from the police.”

“They still hounding you?”

She nodded. The detective leading the cold case had contacted her again this morning. “I told them I would help if I could, but that there was no reason for anyone to kill Cade. In my mind …I think it was an accident. Although, why he was there and not meeting you, I don’t know.”

“Well, quite. You need me to support you with them, you let me know. But, yes, take next week off. We can manage without you for five days.”

“Thanks, Ell. You’re the best.”

 

They were called into a meeting as soon as they got the office, which ended up being a lengthy one, but absorbing, to Tahlia’s relief. She forced herself to concentrate on her work rather than on the evening ahead, but when half-past five rolled around, she could barely wait to get out of the door. Ellory called out his goodbye to her as she hurried past his office, and then she was free. She ran down to her car and set off for the coffee shop.

When she saw him waiting outside the coffeehouse for her, her heart started to beat wildly. Usually they would grab a coffee together, but today he pushed away from the wall and got into the car. Tahlia smiled at him, and Ludo leaned over and kissed her tenderly.

“Let’s go home, beautiful.”

 

Tahlia didn’t remember the journey back to her place. She didn’t remember parking the car or walking to the doorway or turning the key. Her memories only began the second the door closed, when she was in Ludo’s arms, kissing, almost frenziedly tearing at each other’s clothes. Ludo tumbled her to the floor, pressing her legs apart and finding her already wet for him. “Don’t wait,” Tahlia urged him, and smiling, he launched his already diamond-hard cock into her. Tahlia gasped and moaned as Ludo fucked her hard, almost roughly, such was his desire for her. Tahlia clawed at his back, urging him deeper and deeper, needing him to fill her. His cock, huge, long, and thick, plowed into her ready cunt, every fiber of her being attuned to just him and the rhythm of their lovemaking. They came together, Ludo shooting deep inside her and Tahlia reveling in the feeling of his seed in her belly. They moved to her bedroom and fell on each other again, with mouths hungry, teeth biting, and hands clawing as they gave into the craving they had been harboring for weeks now. Their bodies turned and curled around the other’s, eyes meeting and locking as they fucked, screaming the other’s name over and over again.

Ludo kept his promise. Tahlia did not sleep at all that night, but she couldn’t have cared less. Ludo fucked her in every way she had ever dreamed of, and she reciprocated, releasing all of her inhibitions.

Finally, as dawn broke, they collapsed, laughing and gasping for air. Tahlia had never felt so unself-conscious and yet so in touch with her body as she did with this man. Even now, he was running his hand over her breasts and her belly.

“You’re so beautiful,” he said softly, “Not just that unreal face of yours, but your body, your brain, your sense of humor, and your spirit …how am I the lucky one to be here with you now?”

Thalia laughed, breathless. “I’m the lucky one, Ludo Ricci.”

She sat up and straddled him, gazing down at his sensual, heartbreakingly handsome face and his body …the body that had dominated hers so thoroughly. His hands kneaded the flesh at her hips.

“There isn’t one sharp angle on you,” he said admiringly. “Everything is just curves and softness, like a peach. Your body is heavenly.” He traced the circle of her navel. “Thalia Penn, you have enchanted me. I can’t think. I can’t concentrate. You are all I think of.”

She leaned over and kissed him. “That’s the sweetest thing to say, Ludo, and I feel the same. You’re the most incredible man I’ve ever met. Truly.”

He took her face in his hands. “I adore you.”

“And I you,” she said, tears in her eyes. Ludo kissed her again, slowly and tenderly, then met her gaze again.

“Don’t ever let me go, Tally. I wouldn’t survive.”

 

They spent the entire weekend together, then as Ludo only had a few scenes left to shoot, most of the following week. They spent days making love, talking, cooking, and just getting to know each other. Ludo was astonished at how quickly they had become so close, as if they had been destined to meet. He now understood the concept of ‘the one.’ Tahlia was his destiny. He knew it deep in his bones.

One day, she took him to where Cade had died and told him the whole story. Ludo was touched that she would share the story with him. To him, it was the greatest sign of trust. They sat together on the clifftop, Ludo’s arms around her.

“I come up here every anniversary and I search around. Cade always wore a St. Christopher pendant. It wasn’t found with his body, or in his home, or anywhere.”

Thalia’s voice broke, and Ludo pressed his lips to her temple. “Let’s have another look, shall we?”

She smiled at him gratefully, and he pulled her to her feet, kissing her before they started searching. They found nothing and Thalia’s shoulders slumped. “I just wish I had it, you know? Something to remind me …which sounds ridiculous. I’ll never forget him.”

Ludo stroked her hair away from her face. “The few times I met him, I thought he was the greatest guy. It runs in the family. You are Cade’s greatest legacy, Tally. Never forget it.”

 

Whether Ludo realized it or not, that was the moment when Tally knew she loved him without limit.

 

On the Saturday before Tally had to go back to work, she and Ludo went into the city to have dinner by the waterfront. It wasn’t an upscale place. Tally had discovered Ludo preferred the places that locals liked to haunt, and so they ate in a seafood place surrounded by a rowdy weekend crowd and loved every minute.

Thalia wore a white top that clung to her body, and Ludo couldn’t keep his eyes off her. Her dark hair was loose, but pulled over her shoulder, and her eyes shone with love. Ludo leaned over and kissed her, smiling. “I’m the envy of every man here, cara mia.”

 

They lingered over coffee, Ludo’s eyes never leaving her face. He laughed at her dumb jokes, stroking her face and not caring who was watching. It felt so damn good to be able to be together openly. Tahlia felt wiped out by love for this man, and it wasn’t the just the incredible, life-changing sex …Ludo was her partner in every way.

At just after midnight, they left, and walked along the waterfront, Ludo’s jacket around her shoulders, his fingers linked with hers. He kissed her under the globe lamps on the piers.

“I’m going to take you back to your home and fuck you senseless, you beautiful woman.”

Tahlia grinned. “Well, you’d better.”

Everyone along the waterfront started at the loud crack that split the night air. Ludo looked around, then cursed loudly. Marianne, her hair in long thin strands hanging down her face, was walking unsteadily towards them. In her hand, a gun.

Tahlia felt very strange. “Ludo …” she said weakly. He looked around, and she looked down at the blood blooming across her belly. “I think she shot me.”

Ludo didn’t have time to answer before there were two more shots, and he went down, his shirt seeming to explode with blood and gore. Tahlia screamed, the blood rushing in her ears. She looked at Marianne, screaming curses at her. Marianne calmly shot Tahlia again, the bullet grazing her temple, then, with blood pouring down her face, Tally watched as Marianne put the gun in her own mouth and pull the trigger again and again. But the chamber just clicked. A man tackled Marianne to the ground, where she laughed hysterically.

For a second, the night was silent. Then there was bedlam as people rushed to help them. Ignoring her own wounds, Tahlia sobbed as she clung to Ludo, trying to stem the blood from the wounds in his chest as she begged the people around her to help him.

 

Ellory was breathless when he reached the emergency room, and when Tahlia saw him, she wailed and he went to her. “God, Tally …are you hurt? Jesus Christ, you’re shot, baby. What the fuck happened?”

“She shot Ludo.” Tahlia was hysterical, batting away the hands of the doctor’s trying to tend her wounds. She was covered in blood. “Marianne. She shot me, then she shot Ludo …god, they won’t tell me if he’s dead. Please, please, Ell, help find out what happened to Ludo. I can’t lose him. He can’t die …”

Ellory looked horrified. The doctor in charge took advantage of Tahlia being locked in Ellory’s arms and stuck a needle in her arm.

“A sedative,” he said calmly, and Tahlia went limp in Ellory’s arms. He laid her down on the bed and looked on as the doctors cut her blouse away and tended to her bullet wounds.

“A through and through to the lower right quadrant …looks like it missed the organs, but we’ll have to do a laparotomy to find out. Thalia, we’re going to have to put you out …”

“No, I won’t sign any waivers until I know about Ludo.”

The doctor looked grim. “Tahlia, Mr. Ricci is in surgery now. He took two bullets to the chest. We’re doing everything we can to save him. That’s all I know. Now, please, let us help you.”

Tears dropped down Thalia’s cheeks. “Ell, please, make them tell you everything. Please. And call his family. They should know from a friend—not the news.”

Ellory bent his head and kissed her still-bloody forehead. “I promise, sweetheart. Now let them fix you, darling, please.”

In minutes, Thalia was being put under, and as she succumbed to the anesthetic, her heart was breaking, knowing that when she woke up, Ludo might be dead.

 

Ludo opened his eyes and immediately wished he hadn’t. The lights of the hospital room were too bright, and his chest felt it was in a vise. There was only one thought on his mind.

Thalia. She had been shot. Was she dead?

No, no, please. Not my love …

A tube was down his throat and he couldn’t move. He reached out with his arm, searching for the call button, every movement agony. He found it and pressed it continually.

A nurse appeared. “Hey, look who’s up,” she said cheerfully. “Not often we get a movie star. How’re you feeling, honey? Just nod or shake your head.”

Ludo grabbed her hand and wrote on her palm. Tahlia. After a couple of tries, the nurse, Rosie, got it.

“She’s fine, honey. The bullet in her belly was a through and through and the headshot was just a flesh wound. She’s desperately worried about you. She’s been here every day, sneaking out of her room to sit with you. She’s only not here now because the doctor made her go back to her own room. I’ll tell her you’re awake, and if the doctor says it’s okay, I’ll bring her to you.”

 

The nurse kept her promise, and an hour later, she wheeled Tahlia in in a wheelchair. Tahlia’s face was like a shot of morphine to Ludo. He reached out for her, and she took his hand, pressing her lips against it, then gingerly standing and kissing his forehead. There were stitches on her temple, and Ludo could see she was in pain, but she smiled at him.

“I love you, Ludo Ricci. I know it’s fast, but I don’t care. I love you. You don’t have to say it or even feel the same as I do, but I want you to know that, and also that if I could turn back time and take both of those bullets for you, I would do so happily.”

Ludo’s heart—so nearly smashed by a crazy woman’s bullet—swelled and pumped rich, red, healing blood through his battered body. He beckoned her nearer and she kissed the side of his mouth.

Oh, how I love you, you beautiful girl …

She smiled at him as if she’d heard his thought, and Ludo knew everything would be okay now.

 

A week later, Tahlia was released from the hospital. Ellory stepped up and told her his spare room was hers for as long as she wanted it. He’d been to her house and packed a case for her. His apartment was only a few blocks from the hospital, and Tahlia would be able to visit Ludo every day.

She met Ludo’s family—his mother, father, and his siblings, Nico and Grace. They all took her into their family when they saw how much their brother and son loved this woman, and how much she loved him. Ludo was recovering slowly, but surely. He would have to stay in the hospital for at least another few weeks, but for now, he was just glad to have the tube out of his throat so he could kiss Tahlia as much as he wanted. He hated feeling this helpless and weak.

And something else was bothering him too. Ellory Mackenzie. Since he had discovered the affair between Ludo and Thalia, he had been strangely attentive to Thalia. No, not attentive. Proprietary. As if Ludo hadn’t been strong enough to protect her, and so he, Ellory, was stepping in to ‘save’ her.

Ludo tried to shake the idea, putting it down to his own frustration at being stuck in this bed and unable to take care of her, but when his brother, Nico, entered Ludo’s room as Ellory was taking Thalia out, he made a face behind the big man’s back.

“That dude is a creep,” he said to his brother, and Ludo felt better. If Nico, who was the most laidback person he knew, thought something was up with Mackenzie, then there was.

 

Tahlia was at Ellory’s place, alone, trying to nap. She had visited Ludo for hours earlier, but had come back to the apartment, feeling sick and faint. She tried to sleep, but her headache was getting worse and worse. She went hunting out some aspirin in Ellory’s bathroom. Pulling open the cabinet, she reached up for the small bottle tucked behind a small, white cup. A wave of faintness passed over her, and she wobbled, knocking the cup into the sink. She gripped the basin, her eyes closed as the nausea passed. She opened her eyes and it was like being hit in the stomach by a sledgehammer. In the basin, a small gold chain with a St. Christopher lay against the enamel. Tahlia reached out and picked it up in the second before her legs gave way, and she sank to the floor, trying to breathe. Instead, she began to sob as she realized the lie she had been living for a year, and that she had given her loyalty, her time, her trust, and her body to the man who had murdered her brother.

 

“He must have broken his neck and thrown him over the cliff. You know how big Ellory is—Cade wouldn’t have stood a chance. Ellory murdered Cade.’

Tahlia’s voice was flat and dead as she sat by the bed in Ludo’s hospital room. Ludo looked at her, concerned. Eventually, she met his gaze, and he saw a world of pain in her eyes. “Why would he do it, Ludo? Why would he kill his best friend? And then to text me from Cade’s phone, leading me there so that I would be the one to find Cade’s body. The cruelty of it.” She turned the pendant over and over in her fingers.

“He arranged it that way so you’d see him as your savior.”

Ludo reached out and stroked her face, horrified by what she had discovered. He could kill Ellory Mackenzie, the son-of-a-bitch.

“Ludo …I was sleeping with Ellory when I met you. It was unexpected and very new, but I didn’t know how I felt about him until I met you and realized what I felt for Ellory wasn’t love. I broke it off when I knew how I felt about you, and he seemed okay with it. He had wanted sex and I’d had to tell him that I wasn’t feeling it anymore. God, Ludo …”

Ludo, his eyes heavy and tired, said, “Bella, I think you better stay somewhere else. Does Ellory know you know about Cade? About the pendant?”

She shook her head. “No. That’s one good thing—he has no idea. I’ll just tell him I need to be at home until you’re released.”

“I think maybe you should go the police.”

She smiled gladly. “I don’t have any proof apart from this.” She held up the pendent, then slipped it into her jeans. “I’ll just get out of there and we’ll try and figure something out. He hasn’t a clue that I know, and I have been talking about going home.”

“Bella …okay, if that’s what you want to do.” Ludo kissed her, then lay back on the pillow. He looked exhausted and Tahlia stroked his hair. “I’ll pack my stuff and go home. I’ll still come every day. Have they said when you’ll be released?”

“Maybe a week or two.”

Thalia hesitated. “You know …I don’t know what your plans are. I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to go back to Italy and be with your family.”

Ludo smiled. “I’m not going anywhere without you, baby.”

Thalia smiled sadly. “Good. Because I don’t think I’ll be staying at my job now. Do they need good lawyers in Italy?”

Ludo looked delighted, his smile beaming. “Absolutely, cara mia. Call me when you get back to Ellory’s apartment, and when you leave, so I’ll know you’re safe.”

“I will. I love you.”

 

Tahlia had just finished packing when Ellory arrived back at his apartment. He looked at her case in amazement. She forced a smile on her face. “I think it’s time I go home now, Ell. You’ve been way too kind.” God, she nearly choked on the words.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. You’re not well enough.”

Her smile was tight. “I’m fine.”

Ellory came closer and she flinched. “What’s wrong, Tal?” His voice was silk, but she detected something else in there that she couldn’t define.

Her cell phone rang and she answered it gratefully. “Hey, baby.” Her voice sounded unnaturally high.

“God, is he there?” Ludo’s voice was full of concern.

“Yes. How are you feeling?” God, she sounded fake. Ellory was staring at her and she was worried he could hear Ludo.

“Get out of there now, cara mia. Make any excuse. Just go.”

Tahlia edged away from Ellory and went into the living room. Her leg brushed against the table and a glass rocked and tipped over. “Woah.” Tahlia grabbed at it at the same as Ellory; she overbalanced and fell to the floor. Her phone skittered out of her hand and Cade’s pendant slipped out of her pocket and rolled across the floor. For a second, they both froze. Then Ellory looked at Tahlia and she saw murder in his eyes. Oh, god, no …

“Ludo!” She screamed at the top of her lungs, hoping her phone hadn’t disconnected, because he was her only hope now. Ellory was going to kill her. She had no doubt. She heard Ludo screaming her name down the phone before Ellory picked his foot up and smashed it to hell.

She scrambled across the floor, but he was too quick and grabbed her hair, pulling her back. His lips were at her ear as he held her tightly. “You shouldn’t have gone snooping, little girl.”

Tahlia screamed and hollered, trying to attract attention from anyone, but Ellory threw her to the floor and launched a vicious kick into her stomach, dead on the site of her still-healing bullet wound. Tahlia gasped, agony ripping through her, but Ellory did not let her recover before his foot smashed into her again and again. Finally, he grabbed her head and, smiling, bounced it off the hard tile floor and knocked her out.

 

Ludo pulled his sweater on furiously, not caring that his whole body screamed in agony. Ellory had Tahlia and nothing—nothing—was more important than getting to her. Ludo somehow eluded all the staff and his family and got down to the entrance of the hospital. He flagged down a cab and was relieved when he saw it was the cab driver who’d taken him to the church in Olympia all those weeks ago.

The driver greeted him, then saw the look on his face. “What is it, man?”

Ludo gave directions and told him to floor it. “Please, we have to save her.” He was on the phone to the police before they had left the parking lot.

 

When she woke, Ellory was pulling her out of his car, and Tahlia realized they were at the old lighthouse. As she was being pulled from the car, she saw a gun on the passenger seat. Was he going to shoot her again? But he left the gun where it was and dragged her up the hill. The sun was setting and she knew she had to have been out for quite a while.

When they reached the top, Ellory locked his arms around her and started to walk her to the cliff edge. “You should have seen Cade’s face when he realized what I was going to do, Tally. And all because he said no. He told me I would never have you.”

Tahlia struggled in Ellory’s arms as he moved closer to the edge of the cliff. “He told me he would never allow me to be with you, Tally. So, you see, I had no choice.” He buried his face in her neck. “And after he died, I bided my time, and finally, I had you.” He tightened his grip on her as the rain lashed them. Tally screamed again and he clamped his hand over her mouth. “But you had to go and fall in love with the movie star, didn’t you? You were mine, Tally, mine. The second you let him fuck you …I knew then that you had to die. I gave the gun to Marianne and told her where you’d be. I told her to shoot you in front of your bastard lover … but I guess she went off script. Ludo wasn’t the target, but he took the bullets meant for you. When I heard about the shooting …on the news they just reported that Ludo had been shot, along with his female companion, whose injuries weren’t life threatening.”

“The disappointment when I came to the hospital and found the bullet you took was a through and through. If it had been me with the gun, all six would have been in your belly and I would be laying flowers on your grave, Tahlia. But, now, I think this is the perfect way for you to die. The same way as your brother. The poor sister who never got over her brother’s death ends her life the same way.”

He kissed her mouth roughly; Tahlia bit down on his lower lip, and he swore, cuffing her viciously across the face. “You little whore. I’m glad this will be over, Tally.”

“Mackenzie!”

Both Ellory and Tahlia started at the sound of Ludo’s voice, loud, raging, and furious. Tahlia’s eyes filled with tears as she saw Ludo, obviously in pain, climbing into the clearing.

 

Ludo ignored the searing pain in his chest as he rushed to save his love. In his hand was Ellory’s gun, retrieved from the car at the bottom of the hill. When the police had called and told them that both Tahlia’s and Ellory’s home were empty, he had known where they were. He told the police, but, by then, he was closer. He could hear the sirens in the distance. Mackenzie had Tahlia in his arms, way too close to the cliff’s edge. No. No, she wasn’t going to die. Ludo raised the gun and aimed at Ellory’s head. “Let her go, Mackenzie.”

“Fuck off, Ricci. This doesn’t concern you. This is between me and my Tahlia.”

“Tahlia is nobody’s possession, asshole,” Ludo growled at him, edging closer. “Let her go.”

“Why should I?”

“Because I’ll blow your head off if you don’t.”

Ellory laughed. “Really. Do you think I care? You took what was mine, Ricci.” He deliberately kissed Tahlia’s neck roughly. Tahlia screamed as his teeth sank into her flesh, and when Ellory raised his head, blood trickled down her chest from the bite. Ludo felt sick.

“I said let her go, asshole. You don’t have the right.”

Ellory put his head to the side, amused. “You want me to let her go?”

“Right now.” Ludo tried to stop the gun from shaking. He’d only ever fired them on a movie set and never, ever with live rounds in them.

Ellory smiled. “Okay.” And he threw Tahlia over the cliff’s edge. She screamed, and Ludo, half-crazed with grief, shouted, “No!” as Ellory laughed. Ludo fired the gun again and again, catching Ellory right through his laughing mouth, and the man went down, gurgling air. Ludo shot him in the head and Ellory Mackenzie was silenced forever. Ludo dropped the gun and rushed to the cliff’s edge, knowing he would see the worst sight in the world. His girl, his beautiful love, smashed on the rocks below.

Instead, he heard her voice. “Ludo …help me.” He lay on his front and looked over. She was clinging to an outcrop of grasses, dangling precariously. He reached out his hands, ignoring the searing pain of his healing wounds.

“Give me your hands, my beauty …trust me.”

Tahlia grabbed one hand, then the other, and as quickly as she could, climbed and heaved herself over the edge to lie next to him. Ludo, in excruciating pain now, reached for her, but she pressed her hands to his chest. “I’m so sorry, baby. Your wounds are bleeding.”

All Ludo wanted then was to take her in his arms and drift off to sleep. He knew his body was going into shock. “Phone, in my pocket. The police are coming. They’ll take care of you, baby.” He felt her running her hands over him to find it and grabbed her hand, making her look at him. “Tahlia Penn …I am so in love with you. If I don’t make it, remember that you were loved so much. By me, by Cade, by everyone who ever meets you. You are the light. You are my world.”

Tahlia started to cry. “Don’t you dare die, Ludo Ricci. Don’t you dare. Because I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone. Please hang on. Help will come. Help will come. I love you. I love you …”

Ludo smiled once, a smile of pure love and happiness, and closed his eyes.

 

Six months later…

 

Tahlia stood at the door of her now-empty apartment. She couldn’t have stayed here, not with all the memories—the nights of having sex with Ellory, the man who had tried to kill her twice. The man who murdered her beloved brother. The man who had ordered Ludo’s killing. She swallowed the grief.

“Ready, sweetheart?”

Molly smiled kindly at her and Tahlia nodded. “Let’s go.”

She was quiet all the way into the city. Molly patted her hand. Her almost-sister-in-law had been a godsend these past six months. “We’ll get to my place, change, and then go on from there.”

Tahlia nodded, and within a couple of hours, they were on the move again. In the car, Tahlia looked over to her friend.

“Thank you for doing this.”

“It’s my pleasure. Do you have the paperwork with you?”

“I do.”

“Then everything should go like clockwork.”

At their destination, they walked quickly to the courtroom. Outside, a small gathering of people waited. From their midst, Tahlia saw him emerge and smile at her.

Ludovico Ricci. The love of her life. The man of her dreams. The gorgeous, world-famous film star who somehow loved her.

And in a few moments, she would marry this beautiful man in front of a judge, and Molly and Ludo’s family, who had become her family now, would watch.

He came toward her and Molly slipped away to give them a moment’s privacy.

Ludo took her face in his hands and kissed her tenderly. “Buongiorno, il mio amore. Sposami?”

Tahlia grinned back, a tremulous smile, “Sì, amore mio, ti sposerò.”

He kissed her again, chuckling. “Your Italian is getting better and better.”

Tahlia wound her arms around his neck. “My Italian has always been good …haven’t you?”

He laughed. “I love you, you crazy girl. Let’s go get married, beautiful.”

 

Twenty-four hours later…

 

Tahlia arched her back as her husband’s cock plowed deeper and deeper into her, and she cried out his name as she came hard, shivering and trembling. She felt him come, creamy semen pumping deep into her belly.

The small holiday apartment they had rented in a non-tourist part of Venice was as sultry and hot as the weather outside, and the windows, open wide, let in the sultry Italian evening. They caught their breath as Ludo rolled onto his side and kissed her. “We made it, cara mia.”

Tahlia nodded, gazing up at him. “We did. We made it, baby.” She kissed him, and they began to make love again, knowing no one could ever touch them again …

 

 

The End